I remember tasting this Citrusy Japanese Live Shot ages ago, when I was beginning to discover the benefits of eating fermented foods, and being enamoured of its complex umami flavour. The price tag was enough , however, to impede me from ever buying it again, especially once I started fermenting at home, and making things just as delicious for a fraction of the price. Still, the flavour profile stuck in my memory.
A few years later, and more than a few fermentation projects under my belt, I wanted to start playing around with replacing salt in my vegetable ferments with salty, fermented condiments, such as soy sauce or miso. Both of these products, if unpasteurized, would contribute not only salt to the vegetables, but also a whole slew of enzymes and bacteria to kickstart the fermentation process.
Besides, the mere idea of eating pickled cabbage that reeked of miso and horseradish made me swoon.
The smell was indeed intoxicating: pungent, earthy and spicy. I definitely started eating it before it had finished fermenting. Luckily, I had made quite a large batch. After two weeks, I transferred it to the fridge, wary that Napa cabbage goes soft much faster than other types of cabbage, and let it mature for another few weeks.
Kraut-Making Guidelines
#1 Chopping
Although not necessary for fermentation per se, chopping your vegetables creates more surface area from which to draw out its juices. Since kraut usually relies on dry-salting rather than brining, the finer the chop, the easier it is to pack and submerge the vegetables in step 3.
#2 Salting
Salt is important for four reasons. 1) Through osmosis, it helps draw water out of your vegetables, to create an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment for lactic acid bacteria to grow. 2) Salt keeps your vegetables crispier by hardening pectin fibres and hampering their digestion by enzymes. 3) Salt creates an environment favourable to lactic acid bacteria (the good guys!) and less so to other, less desirable microorganisms, giving the former a competitive advantage. 4) Salt slows down the fermentation process, extending the potential for preservation. You can play around with the amount of salt, but I don’t recommend skipping it!
#3 Pounding and Packing
Bruising the vegetables further helps to draw out their juices. You can use your hands to massage the vegetables, or use a specialized pounding tool designed for this purpose. The next step is to pack the vegetable mixture inside a fermentation vessel such a mason jar or a crock.
#4 Submerging
In order to prevent undesirable molds from growing on your carefully prepared kraut, you want to maintain an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment for your vegetables, which requires keeping them submerged under their own juices. A few options include: 1) Using a fermentation weight (usually made of glass or safe ceramic). 2) Saving and washing the tough outer leaves of your cabbage, and using that to push down the vegetables. At the end of the fermentation period, discard these leaves. The kraut underneath should be free of mold.
#5 Covering
To limit oxygen exposure and prevent surface molds from developing, it is important to cover the opening of your vessel. At the same time, you don’t want to seal it completely because, especially during the first week, the lactic acid bacteria will be releasing carbon dioxide, which can build up in your vessel and cause an unwanted disaster. A few options include: 1) covering the opening of your jar with a coffee filter of a piece of cheesecloth, fastened with an elastic band. 2) Using a lid, but keeping it loosely fastened, or making sure to unfasten the lid every day to release the air buildup in your jar. 3) Using a specialized airlock system.
Joëlle
Rich red miso, pungent horseradish, ginger and onion and sweet oranges combine into a complex and decidedly intoxicating umami condiment.
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Ingredients
- 1 Napa cabbage
- 1 sweet Asian carrot or 5-6 small carrots (about 250g), julienned
- 1/2 daikon radish, julienned
- 5 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 5cm strips
- 1 cup julienned ginger
- 10cm piece horseradish, grated
- 2 small organic oranges, zest and juice
- 1/3 cup red miso
- 6 tbsp tamari
Instructions
- Wash your cabbage and remove the outer leaves. Set the leaves aside for later if you don't own fermentation weights, as they can be used to keep your ferment submerged. (see notes above)
- Start by slicing the cabbage very thinly. Transfer all the cabbage to a large glass or stainless steel bowl .
- Add miso, orange juice and tamari to a small bowl and use a small fork to gently mash the miso paste until you have a liquidy paste. Pour it into the large mixing bowl and mix with the cabbage slices.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients, adding them to the large mixing bowl as you go.
- Mix all the ingredients together. At this point, the cabbage should be soft and you should have some liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
- Pack the mixture into mason jars, or your preferred fermentation vessel, making sure to eliminate any air bubbles and to submerge all of the vegetable pieces under their own liquid. I used two half-gallon jars, and it fit perfectly, but you can also use smaller jars.
- Place a fermentation weight on top of the vegetables. Alternatively, press down some cabbage leaves saved in step 1 to keep your vegetables submerged. You can discard these leaves at the end of the fermentation period.
- Cover the jar with a lid, an airlock or a coffee filter or cheesecloth fastened with an elastic band (see notes above)
- Leave the jars out at room temperature for two to three weeks, or until you are happy with the taste, and then store in the fridge.
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References
Katz, S. E. (2012). The art of fermentation an in-depth exploration of essential concepts and processes from around the world. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publ.
